* Catty comments between players.* Slanderous statements made with no regard or forethought for the outcome.* Media-created division through illegitimately hyping a player.* Overzealous fans hating a player for the most mundane of reasons.
* Unnecessary name-calling and derogatory statements made to hurt an entire fan base or player.
* And of course, the ever-present Trolling.

So I thought that I'd attempt to break the trend and create a thread where members could post the more positive and up-lifting stories/events/deeds in and around the WTA.
The stories do not necessarily have to be confined to players.

This is not meant to be a discussion thread, but rather a thread to refresh your 'optimistic' batteries when other posters piss you the hell off.
A sort of respite from the craziness that often envelopes the board.

Also, it is perfectly fine to discuss what's posted, but please refrain from posting negative comments that would defeat the purpose and spirit of the thread.

Thank you and I hope posters will find this thread helpful, entertaining, informative, and fun.

***It is perfectly fine to post events that occurred in generations past as well.***

I'll start the ball rolling with this act of kindness from my fave, Serena.

Quote:

April 2012Sabine Lisicki retires after rolling her ankle in her Quarterfinals
match in Charleston, Family Circle Cup against Serena Williams.
Serena Williams comforts her injured opponent.

This act of kindness is significant because Serena usually garners bad press.
But whenever she does something positive and meaningful, it often goes unreported.

Good job Serena!!

__________________Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery. -Malcolm XA man who stands for nothing will fall for anything. -Malcolm XOur greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. -ConfuciusThe greatest scholars are not usually the wisest people. - Geoffrey Chaucer

"Random player story -- well, maybe not so random, but still worth sharing. I was working in the press office at the Fed Cup zonal tie in Eilat, Israel, in February 2011. On the very last day, on a back court with about 20 people watching, Elena Baltacha was playing an Austrian girl. By beating her, team GB would qualify to the WGII playoffs for the first time in forever. Laura Robson was sitting on the sidelines and cheering on her teammates. A young girl, maybe 12 years old, asked her whether after the match they could hit a few balls together. Laura smiled politely and replied: "Let's see after the match if I have time." I thought it was a nice way of saying thanks, but no thanks.
When Baltacha went on to win the match, the whole team, including team captain Judy Murray, leapt onto the court in jubilation. The same young girl went onto the court and asked Laura if they could hit a couple of balls. With no hesitation, when all her team was hugging, celebrating and talking to the press, Laura moved to the next court to play with this young girl. She then proceeded to round up all the other kids who wanted to play too, gave them all her own rackets and played with the kids for about 30 minutes, encouraging them and giving them tips.
Again, back court, huge win for GB, cold night in Eilat, no press watching her, no reason to care. I've been around all the Grand Slams, seen many players, but never someone so kind, gracious and generous as what I saw from Laura Robson. Class act! Consider me a fan."

"Random player story -- well, maybe not so random, but still worth sharing. I was working in the press office at the Fed Cup zonal tie in Eilat, Israel, in February 2011. On the very last day, on a back court with about 20 people watching, Elena Baltacha was playing an Austrian girl. By beating her, team GB would qualify to the WGII playoffs for the first time in forever. Laura Robson was sitting on the sidelines and cheering on her teammates. A young girl, maybe 12 years old, asked her whether after the match they could hit a few balls together. Laura smiled politely and replied: "Let's see after the match if I have time." I thought it was a nice way of saying thanks, but no thanks.
When Baltacha went on to win the match, the whole team, including team captain Judy Murray, leapt onto the court in jubilation. The same young girl went onto the court and asked Laura if they could hit a couple of balls. With no hesitation, when all her team was hugging, celebrating and talking to the press, Laura moved to the next court to play with this young girl. She then proceeded to round up all the other kids who wanted to play too, gave them all her own rackets and played with the kids for about 30 minutes, encouraging them and giving them tips.
Again, back court, huge win for GB, cold night in Eilat, no press watching her, no reason to care. I've been around all the Grand Slams, seen many players, but never someone so kind, gracious and generous as what I saw from Laura Robson. Class act! Consider me a fan."

That's a GREAT story, and Laura did something wonderful.
And who knows...this story may be continued with that young girl developing a love for tennis and go on to become a future slam winner.
Laura demonstrated "class" in its most definitive form, and I applaud her.

__________________Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery. -Malcolm XA man who stands for nothing will fall for anything. -Malcolm XOur greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. -ConfuciusThe greatest scholars are not usually the wisest people. - Geoffrey Chaucer

I believe most fans remember when Shahar Peer was denied a VISA by the UAE, and how Venus came forward and spoke out against the decision.

Quote:

In February 2009, the United Arab Emirates refused a visa to Shahar Peer, preventing
her from participating in the Dubai Tennis Championship. Williams publicly spoke out against the
decision and called for equal treatment for all players.

Tennis star receives Anti-Defamation League's Americanism Award
for standing up against inequality after Israeli player Shahar Peer was
excluded from participating in Dubai tennis tournament earlier this year.

Quote:

In recognition of her principled stand, Ms. Williams received the ADL Americanism Award during a ceremony at the League’s national headquarters in Manhattan.

“What Venus Williams did in Dubai must be acknowledged and celebrated,” said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, in presenting the award. “When Shahar Peer was denied a visa to compete in the tournament, Venus knew that it was wrong and she knew that someone had to say so. And she did.”
...................
“Words have consequences, but not always for the good. However, Venus’ words were for the good. They were supportive, they put the Dubai Tennis Championship on notice and, while it was too late for Shahar to compete, Andy Ram’s visa, first delayed, was granted.
“The world knows that Venus is a singles champion; we want the world to know that she is also a singular champion.”

__________________Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery. -Malcolm XA man who stands for nothing will fall for anything. -Malcolm XOur greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. -ConfuciusThe greatest scholars are not usually the wisest people. - Geoffrey Chaucer

Tennis star receives Anti-Defamation League's Americanism Award
for standing up against inequality after Israeli player Shahar Peer was
excluded from participating in Dubai tennis tournament earlier this year.

not WTA, but what Roddick did was more admirable when withdrew. He was the defending champion.

I think acts of kindness by players are a lot more common than most people on this board recognize. There is a kind of implicit code shared by a lot of posters (see examples above) that players should be given the disadvantage of any doubt about their behaviour on or off court. Not to say that there aren't instances of players cynically pretending to be kind just to create a false impression, but to simply assume that every time a player shows concern or sympathy she is only playing to the cameras says a lot more about the person expressing the opinion than about the player IMO.

Although she's not the only one to be treated unfairly in this respect, I agree with the OP that Serena is often unfairly treated in this regard. Serena is a player who wears her emotions on her sleeve, so in general I don't see any reason to doubt that she is genuine when she shows concern or sympathy.

This is not to say Serena or other players should be immune from criticism or ribbing. Serena can also behave badly at times, and when she does she deserves criticism, but here as well a lot of people go overboard and see her behaviour as evidence of something much worse than it really was. Again, she's not alone there, most of the big name players come in for some pretty shoddy treatment on a pretty regular basis.

Not WTA but a great story of one of tennis' real gentlemen. Some years ago I read an article by a journalist who had once been a towel boy at an ATP event in the USA. One particular player remembered his name, was always poilite and chose to get to know him. When he was tidying up the locker room for the last time after the final had been played and the players had gone, the towel boy noticed a tennis bag still on the bench. On top was an envelope with his name on it. He opened and read the note, which thanked him for his help, wished him success with his studies and told him that the bag and its contents (packed with quality tennis equipment) were his to keep. It was signed Stefan Edberg.